Film Review: Eclipse

I have something embarrassing to admit - when I was about 14, I was really into the Twilight books. I remember the excitement of the New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn books coming out, and reading them again and again. And then I grew up. I started reading better, more realistic books and promptly forgot about Twilgiht. While rearranging my room last week, I found my Twilight books, stuffed at the back of my bookshelves, so I opened Eclipse and started reading (anything to avoid the task at hand). I stopped again after three pages. I couldn't bear the drivel and the whining and the ridiculousness of the books. Nevertheless, last night, some friends and I headed out to the cinema to see Eclipse. 

I'm sure everyone knows the plot by now - Bella has to choose between her vampire boyfriend Edward and her werewolf best friend Jacob, but she can't, yadda yadda yadda. Oh, and some vampires are trying to kill her. 

My friends and I found the film hilarious, but I don't think that was what director David Slade was going for. The acting was pretty ridiculous and overdone - it was very funny to watch Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner look as though they were about to kiss, when they were meant to be spoiling for a fight. 

Most of the comic moments mostly come from Taylor Lautner, who plays Jacob the werewolf, including the line "I kissed Bella....and she broke her hand....punching my face...". And when Riley, another vampire came out of the water, supposedly looking all evil, my friend and I turned to each other at exactly the same time and shrieked "He looks like Voldemort!". Luckily the only people who heard us were our siblings, who came with us. 

(This is the closest image I could find - it's not the right scene, but you get the idea).

For a movie with a budget as big as the one that Eclipse has, you would have think they could have pushed some more money to the costume department. The Cullens (vampire family), who are meant to have oodles of money, all wear rather nasty looking clothes (nice colour co-ordination though)

Also, Bella's engagement ring? Edward has money, but sweet guy that he is, he just nipped down to his local Claire's Accessories and got her this:

BARF. It someone proposed to me with this, I wouldn't say yes. 

What really got to me about this film, in the same way as the book did, is the backward steps Bella seems to take. She chooses the vampire in the end (surely you all knew that, right?), who is overprotective to the point of abusiveness, and who essentially forces her into marriage (or at least an engagement) before he will even think about having sex with her. It is as though feminism never happened - she has to change her species to be  with him. 

I have to say, the Eclipse is better than the other two films, but it's not great - it's entertaining, and keeps you absorbed, but the acting leaves a lot to be desired - I was rather impressed by the special effects though. My 12-year-old sister loved it "sooooo much", but I would be careful about her review, she's Team Edward. 

Flo x